Heat exchanger



April 15, 1969 T. KOPONEN 3,438,436

HEAT EXGHANGER Filed Nov. 25, 1966 INVENT OR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,438,436 HEAT EXCHANGER Tauuo Koponen, Linjevagen 17, Solleftea, Sweden Filed Nov. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 596,925 Int. Cl. F28f N14 US. Cl. 165--183 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A heat exchanger comprises a tube for the flow of the heat-exchange medium, and a heat-exchange member wrapped part way about the tube and whose ends can be moved closer or farther apart by means of an adjusting nut, whereby to alter the area of heat-exchange contact between the member and the tube. The ends of the memher also carry corrugated heat-exchange sheets whose corrugations are perpendicular to the axis of the tube.

This invention relates to a heat exchanger, for example a central heating radiator, cooling body or the like, and the purpose of the invention is to furnish a simpler and cheaper heat exchanger than known hitherto, with easily regulated heat dissipation or heat absorption both with regard to adjutment to the size of the room in which the heat exchanger is situated, and to fine adjustment.

This is achieved according to the invention by means of a tube of a material having good heat conducting qualities, this tube being designed to carry the flow of the heat ing or cooling medium and which, on the outside for the greater part of its length, is surrounded by a heat transfer body which, with the help of a control device, can be brought into heat contact with a greater or smaller part of the circumference of the tube, and which, on the one side which faces away from the tube, is fitted with heat dissipating or heat absorbing surfaces which are considerably larger than the transfer surfaces between the tube and the heat transfer body. In this manner, on a tube which extends through a room and which conducts a heating or cooling medium, a larger or smaller number of heat transfer bodies with heat dissipating or heat absorbing surfaces may be fitted according to requirements.

Preferably, the tube is of circular cross-section, the heat transfer body of U-shaped profile and resilient, and the legs of the heat transfer body so designed that they are acted on by the regulating control.

The heat dissipating or heat absorbing surfaces may expediently be made of corrugated metal sheet, the corrugations running across the axis of the tube and which, at the points of contact against the heat transfer body, is heat-conductionwise connected with this.

An expedient design of the regulating control is in the form of a threaded bolt which runs through openings in the legs of the heat transfer body and which works in cooperation with a nut which engages against a strip of sheet fixed to the under-side of one of the heat transfer surfaces parallel to the axis of the tube.

Further advantages and features of the invention may be seen from the following description of some examples of the invention with reference to the drawings.

FIGURE 1 shows a cross-section through a heat exchanger according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 shows the heat exchanger of FIGURE I seen from below, partly in section.

FIGURE 3 shows a cross-section through the heat transfer body alone with heat dissipating or heat absorbing surfaces.

Through the room which is to be heated or cooled there runs a tube of a material having good heat conduction qualities which conducts a flowing heating or cooling me- 3,438,436 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 "ice dium. Fitted onto the tube are a number of heat transfer bodies 2, according to requirements, which have a U-profile and which are made of a resilient material having good heat conduction qualities, and which are fitted with heat dissipating or heat absorbing surfaces 1 consisting of corrugated metal sheet as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. After these units 1, 2, have been fitted to the tube 5, threaded bolts 3 are introduced through openings in the units 1 and 2, and in a strip of sheet 7 which is fitted to the outer parts of one of the corrugated sheets 1. With the help of a nut 4 the contact surface between the tube 5 and the heat transfer body 2 and also the angle of inclination of the convection channels 6 formed by the corrugations may be adjusted and thus the sheet dissipation or absorption.

I claim:

1. A heat exchanger comprising a tube to carry the flow of a heat-exchange medium, a heat-transfer body partially surrounding the tube and in heat-transfer contact with the tube over a substantial area, control means for selectively changing the area of heat-transfer contact between the tube and the body, said heat-transfer body on a side thereof that faces away from the tube having heattransfer surfaces thereon of substantially greater area than the contact area between the heat-transfer body and the tube, said surfaces being comprised of corrugated metal sheet the corrugations of which extend transverse to the axis of the tube, said metal sheet being in heat-transfer contact with said heat-transfer body, said control means being adapted to change the inclination of the corrugations of said metal sheet upon regulation of said area of contact.

2. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, said heattransfer body having a pair of legs between which the tube' is embraced, said control means comprising a threaded bolt that passes through the legs, and a nut on the bolt for urging the legs closer together or releasing the legs to move farther apart.

3. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 2, and a strip of sheet material through which the bolt passes and which bears against the outer edges of the corrugations of the metal sheet, said nut acting against said strip.

4. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, said heattransfer body having a pair of legs that embrace the tube, said corrugated metal sheet being secured along the crests of its corrugations to the outer sides of the legs of said heat-tranfer body.

5. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 4, said control means comprising a plurality of threaded bolts that extend through the legs of said heat-transfer body, a strip that bears against the outer portions of the corrugations of said metal sheet, said bolts passing through said trip, and nuts screw-threadedly received on the bolts, said nuts bearing against the outer side of said strip.

6. A heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, said heattransfer body being in the form of a trough within which said tube nests over a substantial portion of the length of the tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,782,260 11/1930 Fr anquet et al -77 2,578,305 12/1951 Huet l65183 X 2,624,555 6/1953 DiVicenzo l65-18l X 2,739,213 3/1956 Beckjord 165181 X ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

THEOPHIL W. STREULE, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

